Anybody buy and run older Rivarossi steam engines?

[DAVID FORTNEY]

I have and still buy Rivarossi steam engines mostly from the 90's. The look great, run smooth and are very reasonable.

Beings I run on code 83 track I prefer the 90's issues because the motors are in the boiler and the drivers are for code 83 unlike earlier releases. 

[RR_Mel]

I’m into Rivarossi articulateds big time, I really like to restore anything SP steam.  The Rivarossis are easy to kitbash too.  I currently have six Cab Forwards in the shop for minor upgrades.  I guess I like working on my locomotives and structures more than operating them.

 

I think the Rivarossi locomotives are very good runners if you just give them a little TLC.  I only have two Rivarossis with small flanges, 17 with deep flanges.  To avoid the deep flange bump at code 83 frogs I deepened all of the flangeways with my Dremel.

 

All of my Rivarossis are great runners and as far as I’m concerned their detail is pretty good too.  I have done extensive mods to my Rivarossi fleet, motors, DCC, LED lighting including markers and number boards.

 

I’ve remotored and added weight to all but one.  I added from 8 to 10 ounces of weight to them and with newer Neodymium magnet motors and a touch of Bullfrog Snot they will pull the paint off the walls.

 

My SP Cab Forwards with sound decoders are fantastic pulling 30 or so cars up my 3½% grades at a little over a creep.

 

I’m currently working on a Rivarossi ten wheeler restoral to tow my shorty passenger cars around my mountainous layout.  It was a $5 eBay clunker and needs a lot of work.

 

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[dstarr]

This Berkshire came in a old AHM box, but it had Rivarossi markings inside. Came to me from a train show, for not very much.  I added as much lead for ballast as I could fit inside.  The original three pole motor, mounted vertically, works OK, and replacing such an odd beastie fell into my "too hard" box.  The paint is rattle can dark gray auto primer, with light gray on the firebox and stack.  It has no problem pulling every hopper car I own (34) around the layout.  The B&M logos is a bit of a stretch, the only Berkshires the B&M owned had distinctive (and ugly) Coffin feedwater heaters.  But I wanted a big (medium big?) steamer for my B&M layout, so, she is a B&M locomotive.

[csxns]

dstarr

old AHM box, but it had Rivarossi markings

Have a Southern 4501 got around 1979 and i still run it a little.

[ggnlars]

Most AHM steam was made by Rivarossi.  This was true even early in the IHC time.  As time went on, Rivarossi started marketing there prodicts in the US and no longer needed the importers.  

[IRONROOSTER]

I still have my V&T 4-4-0 with tender drive I bought in the early 70's.  I run it from time to time.

Enjoy

Paul

[JimValle]

I bought a Riverrossi D&H Challenger in the 90's.  To get running right I had to reinforce the axel splines on the rear driving wheels with plastic cement, then requarter and reassemble them.  The traction tires kept wringing off so I cemented them into place as well using crazy glue.  I replaced all the wheels on the pick up side of the tender wih metal and wired them into the motor feeds to lengthen the electrical pick up.  After that much work I had a dependable and functional locomotive! 

[j. c.]

have 4 that i run but the ones with large flanges i turned down to somthing closer to the rp25 specs.

[Darth Santa Fe]

I've got a pretty good roster of Rivarossi steam, most of which is older.  My only Rivarossi new enough for a central motor in the boiler is my 2-6-6-6, and the rest is from the 60's to the 80's.  I've got:

0-4-0 Dockside (ball bearing motor)
2-8-4
0-8-0 (BB motor)
2-4-0 (deluxe)
USRA 0-6-0
2-8-8-2 (BB motor)
4-8-8-4 Big Boy
2-truck Heisler

Gotta love the old ball bearing motors!  They're noisy, but they sure do run smooth.